Dickey's third novel shares some qualities of the first two. Like Deliverance (1970), To the White Sea describes a quest in an inhospitable landscape.

Like Alnilam (1987), the backdrop is the military. But the main connection between To the White Sea and Dickey's other work is to be found in his poetry.

In particular, "Firebombing," which shows the perspective of a World War II bomber, is easily linked with the novel. "Into the Stone" and "For the Last Wolverine" both connect to the animal theme of the book.

Dickey is still exploring themes which marked his early work: violence, death, and humankind's relationship to nature. Like Hemingway, Dickey creates male characters who are isolated and able to connect with others only in limited ways. Like Dostoevsky, Dickey probes the nature of violence and the psychology which allows it.

This novel, though, exemplifies a return to more accessible fiction...